Summer's Night
by Sundari Harmony
Summary: A one shot about Harry and Hermione.


Disclaimer-All characters belong to JKR  
  
Rating-somewhre between PG and PG-13 for minor MINOR language and stuff ..  
  


**Summer's Night**  


  
Harry hadn't left his room in two weeks. He hardly got off his bed if he could help it. The only time he ever even thought about leaving his room was either when he couldn't control his bladder any longer, or if his hunger got the better of him. He would then make a late night trip out of his room, venturing where he needed to go, but always returning as fast as he could will himself to move. His aunt had made it a point to shove some sort of meal through the doggy door that had been installed in his door a couple of summers ago. Rarely did Harry ever actually eat the whole thing, if he ate any of it at all.   
  
Tonight was one of those nights where he could no longer ignore the pains issuing from his stomach. It was around midnight, and it was the perfect time to leave his room. Late at night he wouldn't have to risk coming face-to-face with another living soul. He wanted more than anything to fall off the face of the earth, to fall asleep and never wake up. Sadly, nature wouldn't comply to his wants. Harry knew also that part of him didn't want to die, nor could he. There were two reasons that made him wake up each morning. Well, there were three if you counted Harry's longing desire to inflict as much pain as he could muster up on that damned Bellatrix Lestrange, further leading to her slow, painful death. After all that woman, if he could call her a woman, had done – She had driven Neville's parents to the point of insanity; and she was the reason why Harry no longer had a godfather – she deserved every ounce of what he could give her, and then some.  
  
Harry made his way to the kitchen and flicked on the light. He went to the cupboard and pulled out a loaf of bread. He took two slices from it. He went to pull open the fridge, when a searing pain swept across his scar. The pain was blinding; it made him drop to his knees, gasping for breath.  
  
_ He was trembling in a corner. In front of him were two death eaters, and two others he didn't know. The one death eater raised their wand, and simply spoke the word, "Crucio." Harry let out a sob, but contained himself so he wouldn't be heard. A red bolt of light had shot out of the death eater's wand, capturing the two standing there. They curled up in agony, screaming bloody murder that was only too familiar to Harry. The death eater lowered their wand, dropping the curse, and the couple to the floor. The death eater laughed.  
  
Wait a minute, he knew that laugh. That laugh is the same one from that night. It was the laugh of the second person he loathed the most above all others.  
  
She raised her wand to the two helpless people heaped on the ground. "Avada Kedarva" she spoke calmly, a hint of hate trailing in her words. A green light shot from her wand, illuminating the terrified looks on the couple, and illuminating the face of the person he wanted to cause a lot of pain to. He tacked another reason on his list of reasons to want to kill her.  
  
"Well done, the Dark Lord will be pleased." The other voice said.  
  
"Of course he will. What better place to start getting rid of these filthy mudbloods than with the parents of the person Potter cares about most?" Bellatrix said with a laugh. She laughed louder, uglier, causing Harry's stomach to lurch. With that, the two death eaters disaparated, and Harry collapsed on the floor, sobbing._  
  
Harry was on the floor of his kitchen. He couldn't see, he was still blinded by the pain shooting across his forehead. The pain started to subside, and Harry sat up. Those were the two other reasons why Harry couldn't die, at least not yet. He had to fulfill the prophecy made about him and Voldemort, meaning either Harry had to find it somewhere inside him to vanquish the most feared wizard of all time, or Harry would fall before him, leading mankind as they knew it to hell. The other reason was Hermione.  
  
_Hermione._ If the vision was true, Harry had to get to Hermione immediately, and he didn't care how he did it.  
  
Ever since the end of their 5th year, Harry couldn't stop thinking about her. Thinking back on it, Harry had always felt something, but had never realized it. Even if he did, he couldn't act on it. It was plainer than day that his best friend had liked Hermione for ages. Ron refused to give in to his emotions, but everyone knew he fancied her. Right now Harry could care less. Harry loved Hermione, and he would stop at nothing to get to her when she needed him most.   
  
He concentrated hard, trying to figure out a way to get there. He didn't have any Floo powder, and besides, the Dursley's fireplace wasn't hooked up to the Floo Network, nor was the Grangers. Hedwig was out hunting and she wouldn't be back for hours. Harry could always fly his Firebolt there, but at the expense of muggles seeing him. He would probably face the risk of being expelled and probably sent to Azkaban, too.   
  
_ I just need a way to get to Hermione, I just need to be with Hermione._   
  
It was the funniest sensation, really. It felt like his body was split in to 1,000 pieces, but remained whole at the same time. He was flying; colors were swirling before him, billions of colors, all mixing in to one radiant gleam. He felt like he had been flying forever, and no time had passed at the same time. Just as quick as he had felt this, it was gone. Harry's feet landed firmly on the ground. He staggered, but didn't fall over. He looked around, confused. He was no longer in the Dursley's kitchen. He was in a living room, the same one from his image. He looked around and saw the two bodies still crumpled on the floor, the pained expressions still on their lifeless faces. He looked to his left and saw Hermione still lying on the floor. From the looks of it, she was asleep. Harry rushed over to her. He knelt down next to her. He brushed the hair away from her face. Her cheeks were tear-stained, and her face was twisted in agony. It broke Harry's heart to see her like this. He scooped her up in to his arms and walked her over to the couch. He laid her down gently. He leaned forward and kissed her temple. Her eyes fluttered open.  
  
"Harry! I …" Her voice caught in her throat and her eyes glistened. Harry just nodded and pulled her in to a tight embrace. He wanted to hold her like this forever, take her pain away, never let her hurt again. She was trembling in his arms, and she laid her head against his chest. She started sobbing silently, and they sat there holding each other.  
  
There was a loud CRACK and Lupin and Tonks appeared in front of them. They looked around, first seeing Harry and Hermione, a puzzled look attached to both the adults face's. Their gaze's shifted to the Grangers, dead on the floor. Their puzzled looks turned to horror, and then to sorrow.  
  
Harry and Hermione sat there in the embrace, undisturbed by Tonks and Lupin. After about five minutes, Harry pulled her back. The look in her eyes broke his heart all over again, and he was amazed it was still beating. Harry looked deep in to her eyes, in to her soul. There they connected and intertwined; Harry could feel her pain, her agony, her sorrow, her fear. It was the most terrible feeling in the world.   
  
Hermione gulped and looked away. Harry looked to where Remus and Tonks were standing, and was surprised to see Dumbledore standing next to them, his eyes shining with sorrow, the lines in his face showing his age more than ever. All of them were looking at Hermione with such pity and sorrow, it was almost unbearable to look at them. Dumbledore finally spoke.  
  
"Hermione, I am terribly sorry. We did everything we could to protect your family, but it wasn't good enough. We are going to take you and Harry back to headquarters now, your friend Ronald is there waiting for you." Hermione just nodded. Harry looked back at her. She was so beautiful, despite the hurt written across her face. Dumbledore took a quill from his pocket and muttered something.  
  
"Take this," he told them, "it will take you back to headquarters. We will see you back there as soon as we can. Harry and Hermione nodded, and took a hold of the quill. Harry immediately felt a tug at his waist, and he was soaring back to Number 12, Grimmauld place. Just before they had taken off, Harry had wrapped an arm around Hermione's waist, a sign of protection and comfort.  
  
They hit the ground in the entrance hall. Harry's feet planted firmly in to the ground, but Hermione staggered in to him, causing him to step back, but he kept his footing firm once he had taken the step. He allowed Hermione to lean in to him fully. He wrapped both arms around her, and she buried herself in to his chest. She felt so small and vulnerable in his arms. He didn't want to let go, he didn't want anything more to happen to her. After a minute or so, Harry brushed the hair away from her cheek.  
  
"Hermione, it's okay, we're safe now" he whispered in her ear. She nodded and pulled away from him. He kept one arm around her waist and walked her down to the kitchen. Ron was sitting at the table with a butterbeer in his hand, though it didn't look like he had any interest in drinking it. He looked up when he saw the two enter the room. He smiled weakly at them and looked back to his butterbeer.  
  
No body spoke, but Harry led Hermione to the table and they both took their seats across from Ron. Harry had let go of Hermione, but she had given him a look that clearly said she hadn't wanted him to. Instead she took her hand in hers, gently massaging her palm with his thumb. The trio sat there for awhile, they didn't know how long. Finally Dumbledore came walking in to the room.  
  
"Hello" he said, a look of sadness still set in his aged eyes. Everyone looked up at him. Dumbledore took a seat next to Ron and across from Harry. Dumbledore looked from Harry, to Hermione, and then back to Harry.  
  
"Harry, I am quite amazed" Dumbledore said simply. Harry looked at him, puzzled. "You managed to apparate to the Granger residence with no prior knowledge of how to go about doing so. It only shows your great magical abilities, and your sheer love for Hermione." Dumbledore smiled weakly at them. Harry felt Hermione's grip tighten around his hand, and Harry noticed Ron look away, a pained expression all over his face. Dumbledore looked back to Hermione. "Once again, Miss Granger, I am terribly sorry. Words can not express the feelings. I just hope you will accept my apology." With that, Dumbledore stood up and exited the room, but not before Harry noticed a tear slip in to the headmaster's silver beard. They all sat there quiet. Ron was staring off in to space, when finally he spoke.  
  
"So, erm, Hermione, I … I'm really sorry" He said, looking at her for the first time truly, his voice was the sincerest Harry had ever heard it. Harry looked at Hermione. Her eyes were glistening, but she was smiling faintly.  
  
"Thank you, Ron." She said to him, giving him one last weak smile. She turned to Harry. "And thank you, Harry. I don't know what I would have done with out you. How did you know I needed you, anyways?" she asked, her face now twisted with concern. Harry gulped, not wanting to relive the whole thing.  
  
"Well, I sort of had, well, a vision. I realize now it was in your perspective. I watched your parents being killed, and then I realized it was real. I had to get to you fast, and I just kept thinking, I need to get to Hermione. All of a sudden I was there. It was the weirdest thing." Harry said, shaking his head and looking away. Hermione and Ron just looked at him, dumbfounded. Suddenly there were two arms wrapped around his neck. Harry wrapped his hands around her waist and held her close.   
  
"I love you, Hermione" he whispered to her. Hermione shivered, but it wasn't a bad shiver.  
  
"I love you too, Harry." He pulled back from her, and she was smiling. He smiled back, and looked over to Ron. He was still looking at them, a look of horror on his face, but then he smiled.  
  
"About time" he said, grinning at them. Harry chuckled and Hermione blushed. Harry wrapped his arms around her again, never wanting to let go of the woman he loved. He didn't plan to either. It was amazing how his world could be turned upside down, all in one summer's night.  



End file.
